-----------------------Chapter 8------------------------

-----------------------Escalation-----------------------

0

Thinking of a quote to describe this event does not exist in my world, luckily a good friend told me "shits about to hit the fan", but that's a bit to vulger, so maybe "metamorphosis" is better. But for some reason, he seemed to find that one vulger...

1

"Please explain..." I was back on my feet before I could think to ask, my body felt heavy, and my armor heavier.

"Escalation?, Ferryman?, souls?, Sea?" Was there more to being strong than I first thought? How had Jupiter ever survived this long?

"My name..." Jupiter began to speak "Nevermind, you trust us right?" His voice sounded uneasy and intimidating all at the same thing, there really wasn't anything heroic about him

"Aren't you two the only people really here?" I could only think to prod them on their information, badly I wanted to fall to the ground and get some rest, but first I needed answers

Jupiter looked back at Europa and stopped walking "Elias" he put a hand over my shoulder "You are part of a prophecy... I've been fighting alongside Eropa to find you, that armor was made to ensure your safety, that graveyard was built to give you power" there was a distinct sadness in his voice, why?

"I don't understand, I'm not special" the words hurt to come out, but I knew it was true, I had no past, no power, only a first name, and no one to protect.

"That's right Elias, that's why..." Swift and sharp, a blow from Jupiter's fist landed on my chest, knocking some of the wind out of me. "we have to toughen you up, no one needs you right now, but someone might need you tomorrow" He gave me a slap on the back making me stand upright.

"Listen Elias.." With both hands on my shoulder his helmet came face to face with mine. "Starting now, the world won't wait on you, riding the razor's edge is all there's left for you now"

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Strangely my chest didn't hurt, if anything Jupiter's voice seemed strained, clearly he wasn't enjoying this "Are you sure I can do it..?" I had to ask, if he said it was so then it was, I just had to know.

2

"Well, Europa?" At Jupiter's call Europa emerged from beside him and looked me up and down. Soon removing her glasses and looking me over again, it was at least a little embarrassing to be inspected by a girl, but I had more pressing matters.

"Well his heart is still beating, blegh weird...." she stuck her tongue out like she was looking at something disgusting, it stung a little.

"That's not what I meant, but being able to see his heart is strange in the first place, tell me how much magic he has" Jupiter crouched behind Europa as if trying to get the same view as her, seemingly to no effect

"Hmm..." She now looked around me, yet not past me, the feeling send a shiver down my spine, maybe souls are shy. "A gross amount, he might measure up to you if he keeps growing like this" she seemed to at least be more respectful, or objective.

"Good, I can't have you dying on me Elias" Jupiter spumped slightly and flipped Eupora's glasses back over her eyes, to which she did not seem to object to, in fact she breathed a sigh of relief. I decided to do the same, my mind could use a break from this all.

With that, I drifted off once more...

3

No dreams this time, I woke up smelling the grass in the hot sun, something even smelled burt, but that subsidied with a tide and clouds of dust, I fell back asleep. No dreams, I could hear the clanging of armor into stone and snapping of bones, but no matter what I did, I could only strain my ears, I fell back asleep. No dreams, my tongue had long since lost taste, the feeling on my skin scraped off, my eyes slowly opened.

Slung over the shoulder of the Great Knight Jupiter, my body laid limp, unable to move. Rain slowly ran down my helmet, my cape blocking the rain for Europa below, wherever we were going, I hoped we reached there safely. "Would you look at that." Stirred by Jupiter's words, I opened my tired eyes to see a bolt of lighting split the clouds along our path, my skin started to tingle.

"A miracle?" Europa's voice sound strained slightly as she looked up at the newly clear sky. "Isn't magic just one bundle of miracles, a whole person's life leading up to this, should make you thankful."

"No..." I spoke, both of them turned their heads as they realized I was awake. "Not just this, I swear I will live up to the lives of everyone who has blessed me, I will respect you by putting your life's work to use" I had to get the words out, I'm already nothing, but if I let myself be nothing with the power of several someone's withing me, I'll be less than a person.

As the gears slowly started to turn in my brain I felt I had graced something divine. "You needed someone to start a revolution?" I asked as the pieces slowly moved together "but for what?"

Jupiter put a hand under his helmet like he was scratching his chin. "The world, it needs waking up, like you were, right now everyone is asleep, going through life without thinking, without feeling, I cannot do this myself, I have already sacrificed too much for personal power, it needs to be you." He let me off his shoulders, that was fine, I could stand on my own now

"You are linked with the world on a fundamental level, whether by circumstance or fate, you must grow stronger so the world can too." In other words I have to pull everyone from the top

"People will have to die for that" I responded, it was obvious, but I wanted to know what response he had

"I know..."